You know, sometimes it just really pays to be overly paranoid, esp about backups. Here's the deal...

I've got my home web server and database. I had an array controller start acting up on me about a month ago and I knew I was gonna have to replace it. So I started the process of making sure I had good backups of all my data in case the controller went out before I had a chance to fix it. I copied my DBs and websites to a different partition on the same box. I also backed them up to my NAS. I also copied them over to a different server. And just to be sure, in case the backup was corrupt (which is a real possibility with Windows backup), I copied the raw files to the NAS as well. OK, so I've got all of this paranoia going on here, but this is very important data to me and I just can't afford to lose it.

So I got my array back up and everything up and running again. No problems. Now, this weekend, I lost a drive on that array. And of course, I'm using Raid-0. Why? Well, because disk is expensive and this is my home system, and sometimes it's hard to justify the extra cost of making things redundant. Well, I've been running backups to the NAS pretty much every day, so I knew I was protected. Unfortunately, I found that my NAS had lost a disk too... and you guessed it... Raid-0 as well. OK, I could ordinarily go to that other server that I copied it to from the previous outage, but I'm in the middle of rebuilding that server for my new Exchange server. So that data's no longer there... great.

Now it looks like I've lost all my data. I can't get the array back, and I've lost something like 12yrs of data. It's a complete disaster. Well, last night after talking to one of those disk recovery folks, I was about to pack up my array and send it to them for the $3,000 data retrieval process, when I looked at the other partition on my server and there it was... the data I had copied over from the previous meltdown! I couldn't believe it. Furtunately, my data doesn't change often enough to really worry about a couple weeks going by between backups, so I haven't lost anything at all.

Let me just say that when it comes to backups, it pays to be extremely paranoid. If your data's that important, act like it. I thought that my NAS and other server would be good enough, but they clearly weren't. So always plan for a multiple failure if it's at all possible. You could have electrical problems that knock out more than one server, you could have a flood or other natural disaster, etc. I'm serious here. If the data you're protecting is that important, treat it as such. In fact, treat it like a newborn baby. Protect it and never let anything happen to it.

I'll definitely be revamping my backup strategy at home so nothing like this ever happens again. I guess the first part of that is to stop being so cheap and get off Raid-0. I just can't afford that anymore. So you guys learn from my almost misfortune and take a good hard look at your backups with a paranoid eye. Develop impossible scenarios and see if your strategy can overcome them.

This is just a little reminder to not be so lazy. I know it's quick and easy to cut and paste code, especially for reports. It saves a lot of time and you can really burn through projects that way. But you just have to consider what you're doing. Just because a section of code worked well before, that doesn't mean that it'll work well here. Look before you leap. If you want to cut and paste code, go ahead, but at least look at it to make sure it's actually what you need.

Recently, I ran across a group of SPs that were clearly from the same template. They all pulled 150+ cols into #tables, and used only a couple of them. The theory behind it was the original author needed a few cols, and the rest of the authors only needed a couple, but since they were included in the select * the original guy pulled in, they decided to just leave it at that. It's nothing but laziness people. Look at what you need and get it. A DB is like a buffet. You can eat all you want, but eat all you take. If you need logic from a query, that's fine, but you should only use that query to help you cut some of your work, not to replace it.

So, do the work, think about what you need, and do what's right. And another thing... cut and paste code leads to some other really bad things. Like in the case of this code I just fixed. Not only did the SP get cloned, it wasn't good code to begin with. So, instead of the other report writers figuring out how to write the queries themselves, and possibly stumbling on a better way, they just pushed the same bad code out there. Don't just assume that because code is published in the DB, that it's good. Take the code if you need it, but only take what you can use, and definitely check it somehow to make sure it's written well to begin with. If you don't know how to check it, there are plenty of resources. Start with your own DBAs, and if you can't get any love there, try the internet... books... training CDs... user groups... seminars... newsgroups, etc...

I love this. I logged into my Blogger account about 3 weeks ago to post a blog and they had a message up saying that they had a new version with all these new features. I upgraded because it sounded cool, and the first thing they did was mark my blog as spam and disable it.

I filled out the form to get it turned back on and it just came up today. I always pays to upgrade.

From time to time I get saved only by the grace of good practice. I've got this server that has had fairly unreliable backups for a while now. It's really hit or miss as to whether the whole thing will be backed up on any given day. Yesterday was one of those days when the backups failed. It was very tempting to just let it go and have it pick up the backups the next day, but I bit the bullet and did what it took to run the backups by hand instead. What can I tell you... last night, the NOC guy who runs the ETL process messed up and hosed 2 DBs on that server. At 2:30am I got a call that both of those DBs had to be restored. I was able to restore and get things back on track in just a few mins.

Take a page out of my book and never blow off backups. You never know when you'll be called on to restore. Anything can happen at any time and you need to be ready. I know sometimes it's a beating to make sure the troublesome backups complete, but one day it'll really save the day... and maybe your job.

About Me

Sean McCown

I am a Contributing Editor for InfoWorld Magazine, and a frequent contributor to SQLServerCentral.com as well as SSWUG.org.
I live with my wife and 3 kids, and have practiced and taught Kenpo for 22yrs now.